Pneumatic action for player-piano mechanism.



A. E. WHITEHEAD. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANO MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29.1915.

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A. E. WHITEHEAU.

PNEUMATIIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANO MECHAMSM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29| I9I5.

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Patented June 19, 1917.

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PNEUMATIC Aclom FOR PLAYER PIANO MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1915.

Patented June 19, 1917.

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A. E. WHITEHEAD. PNUMAHG ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANO MEcHAmsM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29,1915.

Patented J une 19, 1917.

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3y 06%MW/@ a@ AURA E. WHITEHEAD, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER-PIANO MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 19, 1917.

Application led March 29, 1915. Serial No. 17,586.

To all h-0m it may concern.'

Be it known that I, AURA E. lVHiTEi-IEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Actions for Player-Piano Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication.

My invention relates to pneumatic actions for piano player mechanisms, and for other purposes.

Prominent objects of the invention are to provide a simple, practical and elective pneumatic action of the class specified; to secure separability of the apparatus to permit easy and ready repair; to arrange for interchangeability of parts; to avoid leakage of air in both the windways and the connections to the valves; and to secure the foregoing and other desirable results in a simple and expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of a pneumatic action embodying my invention applied to a player piano;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear plan of the same;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken on lines 1-4: and 5-5 respectively in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings I show my pneumatic action as applied to a player piano, but it will be understood that it may be used for other purposes. In this arrangement I show a vertically arranged member l, (Fig. 1), which is understood to be the sticker of a player piano. By explaining the operation of the apparatus in connection with this one sticker the operation with respect to the entire player piano action will be understood. The sticker 1 is provided with an abutment 2 adapted to engage a projection 3 on a member l which has a vertical movement in a horizontally arranged guide member 5, which latter is understood to extend crosswise of the piano, as shown for example in Fig. 4f. The sliding member 4: is provided with a projection 6 which is adapted to engage an abutment 7 on the end of the screw S, which passes through a horizontally arranged member 9 which is also understood to extend crosswise of the piano action. This member 9 is secured to a wind chest or trunk 10 which will be called the secondary or supplemental wind chest or trunk for reasons which will appear hereafter. A threaded rod 11 is shown extending through the slide 4 and provided at its upper end with an eye 12 by which it can be turned, and its lower end extends down to and passes through a bracket 14 secured to the lower swinging leaf 15 of a pneumatic 16. Butt-ons 17 and 18 are mounted on the rod 11 on opposite sic es of the bracket 11i so as to cause the movement of the rod 11 with the bracket 1li. Thus the upward movement of the swinging leaf 15 caused by the collapse of the pneumatic 16 will cause the rod 1l to rise and thereby move the sliding member 4i, the projection 3 of which will act upon the projection 2 on the sticker 1 and thereby cause an actuation of said sticker and the piano action unit of which said sticker is a part. lThe continued upward movement of the member 4E will cause the projection or shoulder 6 to strike the abutment 7 and thereby limit said movement. The desired adjustment of the pneumatic 16 to the piano action may be secured by turning the threaded rod 11 by means of the eye 12. Above the pneumatic 16 I show other pneumatics 16 and 1Gb, each of said pneumatics 16EL and 16b being understood to represent a row of pneumatics arranged horizontally across the piano action, (see Fig. 2), and these rows being to actuate the series of stickers of the series of units of the piano action. The pneumatic 16 is shown arranged below a valve casing 20, said casing being provided with a lateral extension 21 having flanges 22 at its lower end to which the upper face of the pneumatic is secured as by screws 23. The casing is preferably made of metal and provides a chamber 25 containing a pneumatic 26. Within the chamber 25 is a valve spindle 27 whose lower end is'provided with a disk 28 located just above the diaphragm or pouch 26 so that the latter will strike against said member 2S when the diaphragm rises. The valve stem 27 also carries a valve 29 which is arranged to control a passage 30 in the side projection or extension 21, said passage 30 communicating at one end with the chamber 25 and at the other end with the interior of the pneumatic 16. A portion 31 of the casing 20 has an arm 32 which forms a stop for the pouch disk 2S and also has an annular rim 34 forming a seat for the valve 29. A top 35 is mounted on the member and secured detachably thereto by means of screws 36. The top is provided with an annular portion 37 forming a stop for the valve 29. The lower portion of the casing 20 is made detachable from the main or body portion thereof, said detachable`lower portion 38 being detachably or separably held in position by screws 40. This portion 38 is recessed at 41 below the diaphragm 26 and is provided with a duct or passage 42. The casing 20 is secured to a wind chest or trunk 43 which is conveniently in the form of a flat hollow structure arranged vertically at the hinged ends of the pneumatics 16, 16a, and 16h. This wind chest is preferably made of a vertical plate 44 and a coverlike member 45 fitted and detachably secured to 1 the plate 44, as for example by screws 46 and metal strips 47 arranged upon the flanges 48 of said member 45, the whole thus forming a hollow wind chest or trunk having a wind chamber 50 made with a detachable member or cover which can be readily removed to gain access to the interior of the chamber. It will be understood that this wind chest 43 extends crosswise of the piano or in other words from side to side across the ends of the pneumatics 16, 16 and 16h, making up the action. The plate 44 is provided with apertures 51 and 52, the former in register with the end of the duct 42 and the latter in register with the end of a chiot or passage 53 formed in the member 2O and extending from the chamber 25 thereof. A tube or pipe 54 is arranged within the wind chest 43 and has one end 4secured to the plate 44 so as to communicate with the aperture 51 and duct 42, this tube or pipe 54 extending upwardly so that its upper end is about the top of the wind chest 43. At the upper end of the wind chest 43 a valve casing 56 is secured, preferably in a detachable manner as by screws 57 passing through the plate `44.

This casing 56 has a valve chamber 58 in which a valve 59 is arranged, the valve 59 having a stem 60 which extends up through an opening in the casing 56 and is providedl at its upper end with another valve 61. The

lower end of the valve stem 60 is provided I.

with a pouch disk 62. A pouch or diaphragm 63 is arranged below the disk 62, said diaphragm 63 having its edges interposed between the upper portion of the casing 56 and a lower separable bottom 65 thereof. The bottom 65 is held in position by screws 66. The member 56 is provided with a duct or passage 67 extending from the chamber 58 to an aperture 69 in the plate 44, said aperture 69 communicating withv the upper end of the tube 54, the tube 54 being conveniently held in position at its lower end by screws 70 passing through a small disk or plate 71 to which the lower end of the tube is soldered and at Vits upper end by the screws 57 passing through a similar small plate 72 secured to the upper end of the tube. The plate 72 is provided with an aperture 73 and the plate 44 with an aperture 74 communicating with the aperture 73, and the member 56 is provided with a duct or passage 75 which communicates with the aperture 74 and extends from the sameto the valve chamber 58. The bottom member or pouch holding device 65 is provided with a vmetal tube 76 which has a projecting end over which is mounted a flexible tube 77, the latter extending to and being connected with the projecting end of a tube 78 which is mounted in the wind chest 10. This tube 78 communicates with a bleed chamber 79 and also with a duct or passage 80 which extends to a tube 81 which is understood to be connected with a tube not shown which extends to the tracker board of the instrument. The chamber 79 communicates with a bleed port 82 opening into the chamber 83 which is understood to be connected with the wind inducing apparatus. The chamber 50 of the chest 43 is also understood to be connected with the wind inducing apparatus, so that assuming the instrument to be operated by pressure less than air pressure, the chambers 50 and 83 would under operating conditions be vacuum chambers in which a vacuum of more or less intensity existed. The operation of the apparatus so far described would therefore be as follows: Assuming the music sheet to be traveling over the tracker boar@L when a perforation is not in register with the tracker board tube of the pneumatic 16, a reduced air pressure would exist in the tube 81 due to the bleed port 82 and this would insure the diaphragm 63 in the primary valve chamber 56 remaining in a depressed or lowered condition, as shown in Fig. 1. Assuming, however, that a perforation comes into register with the tracker board opening connected. with the tube 81, air rushes into said tube 81 and through the passage 80 and into the tubes 78, 77 and 76, thereby elevating the diaphragm 63 and causing the valve 59 to close the inner end of the passage 67 to the valve chamber 58, but open said passage 67 to the atmosphere by virtue of the lifting of the valve 61, a vacuous condition being maintained in the chamber 58 by reason of the passage 67 and its connection with the chamber 50 of the wind chest 43. Thus atmospheric air will be permitted to gain access to the duct 67 and thence to the tube 54 and thence to the chamber 41, and thereby lift the diaphragm 26, a vacuous condition being maintained above this diaphragm by reason of the passage 53 and its connection with the wind chest 50. When the diaphragm 26 is elevated the valve 29 will rise from its seat 34 and thereby open the passage 30 to the chamber 25, thereby7 isa inducing a vacuous condition in the pneu` matic 16 and causing the collapse of the same. This collapse, as previously described will cause the elevation of the piano sticker 1 and the actuation of the corresponding piano action unit.

The drawings show other secondary casings 2Oa and 201 mounted above the pneumatics 16a and 16h, respectively, and these casings are understood to be constructed and arranged similarly to the member 20 as just described. Other primary valve casings 56a and 56b are shown, the valve casing 56ZL being connected by a tube 54a with the secondary valve casing 20iL and the primary valve casing 56b being connected by a tube 54h with the secondary valve casing 20h, the valve casings 56a and' 56b being understood to be constructed and equipped in the same way as the valve casing 56.

The whole structure, it will be seen, may be readily disassembled and the parts may be interchanged, or new ones substituted and repairs made as desired. The construction is also simple and inexpensive.

The main wind chest or trunk 43 and the valve casings connected thereto, and the tubes or pipes in the main wind trunk, are preferably made of metal, insuring against leakage and shrinkage. The supplemental wind trunk is preferably made of wood, although it might be made of other material. The slides l1 are preferably made of metal. The guide strip 5 is preferably made of wood and secured detachably to the wind trunk 10 by screws 5a. The upper ends of the pneumatics 16b are also preferably secured to this strip 5. Other strips and S6 preferably made of wood, are also interposed between the pneumatics, the strip 85 being secured to the tops of the pneumatics 16 for limiting the down movement of the swinging leaves of the pneumatics 16, and the strip 86 being secured to the tops of the pneumatics 16a for limiting the down movement of the pneumatics 16".

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a wind chest composed of separable members, valve casings secured to one side of one of the members which form said wind chest, tubes connecting said valve casings and being arranged upon the other side of the member to which the valve casings are secured, the other member of which the wind chest is composed being constructed to be passed over the ends of said tubes and to engage the member to which the tubes are connected to thereby complete the wind chest.

2. The combination of a wind chest, valve casings mounted on the outside of said wind chest, tubes provided upon the inside of said wind chest, and connecting said valve casings, the ends of said tubes terminating within said wind chest and being detachably secured to the interior of said wind chest, and the latter having a detachably secured portion which may be removed to open said chest and permit access to and removal of said tubes.

3. In combination, a wind chest composed of a plate and a hollow member constructed to be secured to the plate, tubes removably secured at their ends to the plate, said hollow member forming a cover for said tubes, and being removable whereby access may be had to the tubes to permit samei to be removed from said plate.

4L. The combination of a vertically arranged wind trunk, primary valve casings mounted upon said wind trunk along the upper portion of the same, secondary valve casings mounted upon said wind trunk along the lower portion of the same, power pneumatics secured to said secondary valve casings, and tubes extending between said primary and secondary valve casings, said tubes or pipes being located inside of said wind trunk and having an enlarged end portion whereby said tube may be joined to the ind chest, said enlarged portion having an aperture which communicates with the wind chest.

5. The combination of a wind trunk, valve casings secured to said wind trunk, a pneumatic carried by one of the valve casings, a wind trunk supported by said pneumatic and connections leading from said last mentioned wind trunk to the other valve casing.

6. The combination of a wind trunk comprising a vertically arranged, substantially fiat hollow member, primary valve casings secured to one side of said wind trunk, secondary valve casings secured to the same side of said wind trunk, tubular connections between said primary and secondary valve casings, power pneumatics secured to the secondary valve casings, a supplemental wind trunk extending longitudinally of the first mentioned wind trunk on the other side of the primary valve casings, tracker tube connections carried by said second mentioned wind trunk, a guide strip carried by said second mentioned wind trunk and providing a guideway for piano action operating members, members for actuating the piano action carried by said guideway, one row of pneumatics being secured to said guideway, and strips interposed between diiiierent rows of pneumatics and secured to the iXed portions of said pneumatics and acting as stops for the movable members of pneumatics in an adjacent row.

7 The combination of a wind chest composed of separable members, valve casings mounted upon the outside of said. wind chest, tubes provided inside of said wind chest and connecting said valve casings, one of the separable members which form the wind chest forming a cover for said tubes covering both the length and the ends of said tubes.

S. In combination, a wind chest composed of a plate and a hollow imperforatev member detachably secured thereto, valve casings secured to said plate, said plate having a plurality of apertures provided therein adjacent said valve casings, one of which communicates with the interior of said wind chest; a tube connecting the other of said apertures and another port communicating with the interior of said wind chest, said port being connected with a wind inducing apparatus.

9. The combination of a wind chest, a valve casing secured tov the wind chest, said valve casing being composed of separableV upper and lower portions, the upper portion of said casing having pneumatic connection with said wind chest and a power pneumatic carried by the upper portion of the valve casing. 4

10. The combination of a wind chest, a valve casing secured to the wind chest, said valve casing being composed of separableY upper and lower portions', the upper portion of said casingl having pneumatic connection with said wind chest, and a power pnuematic carried by one part of the separable valve easing.

11. The combination of a wind chest, a valve casing secured to the wind chest, said Copies of this patent mayA be ob'tai-ned for v valve casing being composed of separable upper' and lower portions,- the upper portion of said casing having pneumatic connection with said wind chest and a power pneumatic carried by the upper' portion of the valve casing, and said pneumatic being suspended from and supported by the upper separable part of the valve casing but located below the lower part thereof.

I2.- 'Ihe combination or a wind chest com'- posed of separable members, a valve casing composed of separable' membersl secured to said wind chest, a tube provided in said wind chest and secured at its ends to the wind vchest by a member which alsov secures one part of the separable valve casing to the wind chest, said means being provided in the wind chest and accessible upon the sep'- aration of the separable' members which form said wind chest.-

13. The combination of a wind chest composed of separable members, one of which is a plate, a plurality of valves provided on one side of the plate,- tubes connecting said valves provided upon the other side of said plate, the other member of said wind chest being constructed to extend beyond the ends of said tubes provided in the wind chest whereby the ends of said tubes are inclosed within the last mentioned portion of the wind chest.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day oi March, A. D., 1915'.

AURA E. WHITEHEAD. Witness: A. L. JONES;

e cents each,` by addressing'th Conissi'oer of Patents,1 WshingtonJL-C. Y 

